A new vigilante is roaming the streets of Gotham City and his name is Bateman. Jason Bateman has joined the DC Universe in a new star-studded ad for State Farm that sees the actor taking on some of Batman’s most notorious villains.
The ad campaign, titled Batman vs. Bateman, aims to highlight that having insurance isn’t the same as having State Farm, just like Bateman fighting crime in Gotham isn’t the same as having Batman doing it. The 60-second version of the extended cut ad shown below was originally supposed to air as a Super Bowl spot. However, due to the Los Angeles wildfires, State Farm decided to postpone the ad campaign until March Madness. Besides Bateman, the ad features several recognizable faces, including artist SZA as Catwoman, streamer Kai Cenat as a Gotham City citizen, and content creator Jordan Howlett as Commissioner Gordon. It also wouldn’t be a State Farm ad if Jake from State Farm didn’t appear. Check out the extended cut of the State Farm ad below.
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“This campaign creates an opportunity for our brand that is known for driving cultural relevancy through entertainment to boldly ask consumers if they’re confident the insurance they have includes the coverage they need. Through the juxtaposition of Batman and Bateman, we’re building the narrative for consumers to look at the insurance industry and question the value being offered by our competitors,” said Kristyn Cook, State Farm chief agency, sales and marketing officer. “Because it’s clear that just having insurance isn’t the same as getting the full value of having State Farm.”
Is Will Arnett Playing Batman in the State Farm Ad?
While he’s not credited, DC fans have begun to speculate on X that at least the voice of Batman in the ad was provided by Will Arnett. The comedic actor previously voiced the Gotham City-based superhero in Warner Bros.’ The Lego Movie franchise. While Batman does sound like Arnett’s take on the superhero from the Lego movies, until the theorized casting is confirmed, fans should not take this as confirmation that Arnett appears in the State Farm ad.
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Batman’s appearance in the State Farm ad comes ahead of the character’s DC Universe debut in The Brave and the Bold. While no actor has been cast yet for Batman, the character did make his DCU debut, albeit via silhouette, in an episode of the adult animated series Creature Commandos. While the silhouette teased a beefier Batman, Gunn shared with Rotten Tomatoes after the episode had aired that they purposely kept the hero in the shadows to keep them from having to commit to a final design.
The 60-second version of this ad will debut during the Big 10 Men’s Championship on March 15 and will continue to air throughout all the college basketball action for the remainder of the month.
Source: State Farm